Live, untreated sick fish are the best submission samples for diagnosis of disease problems.  Dead fish are very poor specimens, since fish decompose rapidly after death.

            An excellent submission sample is several live fish that exhibit obvious physical signs of disease, such as: (a) lesions, (b) hemorrhagic to yellow or pale erosions on the fins or gills, or (c) swollen, fused, or clubbed gills.  Other indicators of poor fish health would include fish exhibiting abnormal or unusual behavior such as lying listless in shallow water or at the water surface or swimming erratically or in circles. 

            The number of fish to be submitted varies and may be dependent upon the size of the fish.  If fry or fingerlings are submitted, then 20-25 should be enough to perform diagnostics.  If the specimens are adult fish, then 3-5 fish are usually sufficient. 

            In those instances where water quality may be a problem, water samples can also be sent to ADDL for evaluation of water quality.  PLEASE NOTE THAT DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) IS NOT TESTED AT THIS LABORATORY, since this parameter will change greatly between the time the sample is collected and tested.

            For shipment of fish to ADDL, it is recommended that fish be placed in a large thick clear plastic bag, filled with approximately 1/3 full with water.  An “air cap” or oxygen should be present immediately above the surface of the water, occupying approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the plastic bag.  The bag should be sufficiently tied and placed inside another bag to prevent leakage.  This bag should be placed inside a thick, waxed, cardboard box for shipping.  This box, along with the submission form should be transported or shipped via an appropriate overnight shipping company to ADDL.  The correct address is:

 Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

Purdue University

1175 - ADDL

W. Lafayette, IN 47907-1175   

If you are in southern Indiana, please submit samples to: 

Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, Dennis H. Heeke 

11367 E. Purdue Farm Road

Dubois, IN 47527-9666

            For evaluation of water quality samples, a single, separate water sample should be shipped along with the fish samples.  This water should be placed in a clean, one quart glass jar with a screw top lid (such as a canning jar) with a layer of aluminum foil placed between the water sample and the lid.  Water samples shipped in this manner are satisfactory for pesticide and herbicide analysis as well as water quality testing.

            Please submit a completed submission form (ADDL form 1) along with any fish or water samples.

            PLEASE NOTE:  All fish and water samples submitted to ADDL become property of ADDL and WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO SUBMITTERS.  DIAGNOSTICS ARE NOT PERFORMED FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING IF FISH ARE SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. 

            If you have any questions regarding submission of fish and/or water quality samples to ADDL, West Lafayette, please contact Dr. M. Randy White, at (765) 494-7440. Fax number is (765) 494-9181.  

            For questions regarding submission of fish and/or water quality samples to ADDL, Heeke Laboratory, please contact Dr. Duane Murphy,  at (812) 678-3401. Fax number is (812) 678-3412.